This invention relates to a device designed for treatment and/or prevention of abnormalities of the ankle and foot complex. More particularly, the invention is directed to a substantially L-shaped orthopedic brace having a posterior upright that attaches at one end to a thermoplastic calf plate and at the other end to a thermoplastic foot plate. The brace further comprises a hinge at the apex of a contoured heel portion of the upright to provide free dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, and a pivot point located below the hinge to advantageously provide free inversion, eversion, pronation, and supination of the foot. Straps are also provided to attach the proximal end of the calf plate to leverage bars of the distal end of the foot plate. Proximal and distal are referenced herein as being relative to any part of the human body spaced from the ankle and foot complex while the body is in a standing position including, for example, the knee or head.
While the invention is particularly directed to the art of ankle and foot orthosis devices, and will be thus described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the invention may have usefulness in other fields and applications.
A wide variety of ankle and foot orthosis devices are known. However, those known lack a number of convenient features incorporated in the present invention.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,479 to Detoro is directed to an ankle and foot orthosis device for use in support, protection and partial immobilization of the ankle and foot complex. However, the Detoro patent does not teach the provision of a hinge, for facilitation of free dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, or a pivot point, for facilitation of free inversion, eversion, pronation, and supination. Moreover, the Detoro patent does not disclose the use of straps extending from the calf plate to the foot plate of the device nor leverage bars for connecting the straps to the foot plate.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,122 to Mason, et al. is directed to an ankle-foot orthosis device which comprises a foot section and a leg section articulately attached to one another to provide dorsiflexion and limited plantar flexion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,904 to Lerman is directed to a preventive brace which includes circular hinges allowing rotation of a leg supporting shell with respect to a foot supporting shell. U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,360 to Janke is directed to an orthosis device with variable motion control and includes cam members which selectively provide different angles of rotation in plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. None of these patents, however, specifically teach a pivot point which allows inversion, eversion, supination, and pronation. Further, these patents fail to disclose use of straps which attach at the proximal end of the calf plate and the distal end of the foot plate. Consequently, leverage bars facilitating attachment of the straps to the foot plate are not shown.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,589 to Wertz is directed to a foot support device adapted to engage a posterior ankle section of a leg having a strap means for providing dorsiflexion and eversion assistance, the strap means being connected to the support member and attached to predetermined points on a shoe. The Wertz patent, however, does not disclose a foot brace comprising an upright, a calf plate and a foot plate and, consequently, does not teach the use of a hinge and a screw incorporated into the upright to facilitate multiangular movement of the ankle and foot complex. Moreover, the Wertz patent does not disclose use of leverage bars facilitating attachment of the straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,760 to Neumann et al. relates to an articulated orthotic brace for an anatomical joint. The Neumann patent, however, discloses a device having motion limitations set by a screw which can be tightened. The Neumann patent does not disclose a device allowing dynamic unrestricted motion facilitated by a combination of the free motion of the joint itself and stored energy within associated elastic straps. Moreover, the Neumann patent shows two (2) ankle joints, one on each side of the ankle attached to two (2) uprights that are placed near the anatomical axis of rotation, if aligned properly.